


Immolation

by Pandora151



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Blood, Blood Magic, Character Death, Deathfic, Gen, Planet Dathomir (Star Wars), Ritual Sacrifice, Rituals, Sacrifice, The Force, Whumptober 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-09
Updated: 2020-10-09
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:40:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26913769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pandora151/pseuds/Pandora151
Summary: “It is no simple ritual,” she replied, voice echoing deeply.  “Dathomir requires the blood of a Jedi.  A sacrifice.”Obi-Wan’s face hardened, his eyebrows drawing together.“You require a Jedi,” he repeated, eyes bright.  “But you do not have a Jedi—not a true one, at any rate.  What you have here is aformerJedi.”
Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi & Ahsoka Tano
Comments: 14
Kudos: 74





	Immolation

**Author's Note:**

> According to the [Merriam-Webster Dictionary](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/immolate), there are two definitions of the word **immolate**.
> 
> \-----------
> 
>  **immolate** : noun
> 
> 1\. to kill or destroy especially by fire
> 
> 2\. to offer in sacrifice
> 
> \-----------
> 
> Most of us are familiar with the immolation scene from Revenge of the Sith, which refers specifically to the first definition. However, this fic is going to explore the second definition of that word, and it is _intense_. I can't express it enough. Please mind the tags and the rating!
> 
> Written for Whumptober 2020, for the Ritual Sacrifice prompt. Click [here](https://pandora15.tumblr.com/post/630781342844682240/whumptober-2020-masterlist) to see my Whumptober 2020 Masterlist on Tumblr.
> 
> Enjoy! :)

“Stop.”

Ahsoka froze at the familiar voice, heart dropping to her stomach. She stopped struggling, letting the Nightsisters tighten their grip on her with their magic. Her vision blurred at the sensation, and she felt her head fall forward, knees buckling.

There were footsteps coming from somewhere behind her, quiet and certain. Ahsoka lifted her head slowly, watching as the blurred figure walked up to Mother Talzin, just by the stone altar.

“How did _you_ get here?” Mother Talzin demanded. “No one enters Dathomir without my knowledge.”

Master Kenobi smiled grimly. “You must have known that someone would have found out about this,” he replied, gesturing towards Ahsoka. “Though I have to admit, I did not expect you to be having her participate in one of your rituals, Mother.”

Mother Talzin’s brows furrowed.

“It is no simple ritual,” she replied, voice echoing deeply. “Dathomir requires the blood of a Jedi. A _sacrifice_.”

Obi-Wan’s face hardened, his eyebrows drawing together.

“You require a Jedi,” he repeated, eyes bright. “But you do not have a Jedi—not a true one, at any rate. What you have here is a _former_ Jedi.”

The Nightsisters around her began to murmur among themselves now, clearly shocked. Mother Talzin’s eyes were glowing in earnest now, overwhelming Ahsoka’s senses.

“ _What_?” the Mother gritted.

Ahsoka huffed out a breath, wincing as it sent pain dancing down her ribs.

“I’m no Jedi,” she huffed. “I said it—before.”

That was true, from what Ahsoka remembered of her capture. She’d repeated it over and over, trying to convince them that she truly wasn’t a Jedi.

But for some reason, they didn’t believe her.

But now…

Mother Talzin’s eyes were fixed on Ahsoka, even through the green haze of magic that was rendering her immobile.

“This is no Jedi,” Obi-Wan continued. “Let her go and leave this planet. If you truly need a Jedi, you have one now.”

If Ahsoka wasn’t being held up by the Nightsisters’ magic, she would have fallen down from the shock that coursed through her veins.

“ _No_!” she shouted, struggling to pull herself out, to do _something_. As soon as she shifted forward, however, pain wrenched itself through her head, and Ahsoka screamed, falling roughly to the ground.

Through her watery vision, she watched as Mother Talzin walked closer to Obi-Wan, who then took a step back, tilting his chin towards Ahsoka.

“Release her,” he said, voice quiet.

There were gentle hands on Ahsoka’s arms, carefully pulling her to her feet. Then, a dark cloak was placed on her shoulders, warding off the chill that she had felt setting into her bones. Before she could react, do _something_ , however, her wrists were snapped together in front of her body, and the Force went silent.

Ahsoka opened her mouth and realized that somehow, she couldn’t talk. Her voice was just… _gone_.

“She may be no Jedi, but she is still _dangerous_ ,” the Mother said, eyes gleaming.

Obi-Wan turned to look at Ahsoka, and his expression was neutral, as blank as it was when he looked down at her in the Chamber of Judgment on the day Ahsoka was expelled from the Order.

“You must let her go free,” Obi-Wan replied, turning back to Mother Talzin. “That is the only way I—”

“Only if the ritual is completed as expected, and there are _no_ interruptions,” Mother Talzin replied, voice firm. Her eyes glowed, almost in warning.

A pause, and then Obi-Wan was nodding.

“Understood.”

Ahsoka felt hands pressing on her shoulders, forcing her onto her knees a few yards away from the altar. She felt herself shaking under the cloak, too shocked to do anything but watch.

A Nightsister walked over to Obi-Wan, and then his lightsaber was plucked off his belt. Ahsoka watched, eyes wide as more Nightsisters stepped up to remove his armor, boots, and belt, and then his obi and overtunic, leaving him in a plain white undertunic and leggings.

As the Nightsisters stepped away, Mother Talzin lifted a hand.

Obi-Wan let out a sharp exhale, hands flying up to his neck. Ahsoka’s heart jumped to her throat as the green magic curled itself around his neck, wrists, and ankles, suspending his body in the air.

Then, he was being dragged forward, to the altar. Mother Talzin lowered her hand slowly, and Obi-Wan fell harshly onto his knees in front of the altar, bowing his head forward as he breathed deeply.

Silence echoed through the area, and then the chanting began, cold and unfamiliar. Ahsoka shivered, watching as the magic swirled around Mother Talzin, the Nightsisters, and Obi-Wan, almost hauntingly.

Ahsoka swallowed. She wanted to look away, but she _couldn’t_.

The chanting grew louder, building into a haunting crescendo that sent shivers down Ahsoka’s spine. Through the haze of green, she could see Obi-Wan shaking visibly, panting.

Whatever they were doing, it was hurting him, somehow. Ahsoka cursed her helplessness, her stupidity for getting captured _here_ , of all places.

This was all her fault, and now…

The chanting grew into a loud, echoing shout, and then, just like that, it stopped, whispering into the wind.

Mother Talzin raised a hand to the sky, and as thunder rumbled through the atmosphere, a long bolt of lightning flashed into her hand, almost like a long, jagged dagger. She swung it through the air as she began chanting, as magic curled itself around the bolt.

Ahsoka’s eyes widened as the magic slipped slowly away, revealing a sharpened dagger shaped like lightning, flashing with green in the air.

Obi-Wan’s eyes closed. Ahsoka could see his mouth moving, and she found herself able to hear his words and _recognize_ them, even though they were a silent reassurance.

The mantra associated with the Jedi Code. Not the version that was commonly used by all Jedi, but the one she remembered from the crèche, all those years ago. She remembered hearing Obi-Wan whisper that version of the mantra to himself during the most difficult of battles, back when she _was_ a Jedi.

Ahsoka opened her mouth, and although the Nightsisters had taken away her voice, her mouth moved in unison with Obi-Wan’s.

_Emotion, yet peace._

_Ignorance, yet knowledge._

_Passion, yet serenity._

_Chaos, yet harmony._

_Death, yet the Force._

Ahsoka watched as Mother Talzin rose the bolt-dagger to the sky, as lightning flashed once again, sparking over the dagger and leaving it glowing bright in her hand.

Then, Mother Talzin was moving, lifting up her hand once again. Obi-Wan’s lips faltered mid-sentence as he was lifted once again, the green magic coiling up his arms and legs, rendering them immobile.

Ahsoka found herself continuing, letting the words whisper themselves in her mind, desperately trying to ignore the Nightsisters chanting in unison once again around her.

She watched as Obi-Wan was placed on his back on the altar, staring up at the sky, mouth moving once again. She couldn’t hear his words anymore, over the chanting, but it didn’t matter, because she _knew_ them.

Mother Talzin stepped forward, in front of the altar. A Nightsister stood next to her, holding a metal basin, presumably to hold the—

Ahsoka swallowed, tearing her eyes away, towards Obi-Wan, and she continued mouthing the words to the mantra along with him, focusing only on that.

She didn’t know exactly when the tears started falling from her eyes. Maybe it was when Mother Talzin slashed the sparking bolt-dagger downwards, dragging it from shoulder to waist.

Obi-Wan’s body jerked upwards, and Ahsoka felt herself freeze completely as her Grandmaster gasped soundlessly, neck arching against the cold stone of the altar. A second passed, and then his lips were moving again, more sluggishly than before.

Ahsoka opened her mouth and continued as well, soundlessly.

Mother Talzin turned and laid the dagger diagonally into the basin, and Ahsoka watched, heart thumping in her ears, as a splash of dark red blood slid off the jagged blade into the cold metal.

The chanting grew louder as the basin began to glow, just slightly. Mother Talzin smiled softly, and she turned back to Obi-Wan, holding the bolt-dagger upwards once again.

Another cut, slower and deeper than the first, and Ahsoka heard Obi-Wan’s gasp this time, as his limbs thrashed against the bonds and his fingers curled into tight fists. She watched, as Mother Talzin once again turned to the Nightsister, as blood began to stain the cloth of his tunic, running down his side to stain the stone.

By the time Mother Talzin turned back to Obi-Wan again, Ahsoka could see his lips moving again.

And so, Ahsoka continued along with him.

The ritual continued, slowly and painfully. The basin was lighting up more and more as Obi-Wan’s blood was slowly poured into it. Obi-Wan’s tunic was growing redder and redder, but somehow, his eyes remained open as he continued whispering the mantra.

When Mother Talzin turned back to Obi-Wan again, after the fifth or sixth cut, she held up the hand holding the dagger to the sky. Lightning flashed, and in a single, savage motion, she plunged the sparking dagger deep into Obi-Wan’s right shoulder.

Through the ringing voices of the Nightsisters’ chants, Obi-Wan screamed. His body jerked upwards as the electricity rushed through him, crackling over his chest.

Mother Talzin waited a few seconds before pulling the dagger out of his shoulder and letting the blood run freely into the glowing basin.

The Nightsister holding the basin stepped closer, and with a lift of Mother Talzin’s free hand, the blood from _all_ of the wounds, especially the new one, was being pulled out of Obi-Wan, into the basin.

Obi-Wan’s mouth trembled with fading effort, and his eyes fluttered as he gasped and panted, visibly shaking on the altar.

 _It’s alright, Master,_ Ahsoka thought, though their bond had long been withered away, _I will continue for you._

And though her voice continued to fail her, Ahsoka Tano spoke the words that Obi-Wan Kenobi no longer could.

_“Emotion, yet peace.”_

Another deep cut, and Ahsoka’s heart shuddered as Obi-Wan grunted, his neck arching back against the edge of the altar.

_“Ignorance, yet knowledge.”_

Obi-Wan’s head turned to look at her with glazed, half-lidded eyes. Ahsoka didn’t know if he knew that she was still whispering the mantra, even after he had stopped.

 _“Passion, yet serenity._ “

The chanting grew louder as the basin was filled more and more, glowing a brilliant green in the darkness.

_“Chaos, yet harmony.”_

Obi-Wan’s lips twitched into a ghost of a reassuring smile just before the dagger pierced his stomach. Ahsoka watched, struggling to move, to do _something_ , as he screamed and his body jerked upwards, seizing against the magical bonds on his arms and legs.

_“Death, yet the Force.”_

The basin was nearly full now.

Obi-Wan’s chest rose and fell in uneven intervals as he strained and gasped for air, his eyes fluttering closed. His body trembled, still struggling against the bonds.

Mother Talzin turned to him once again, and her eyes lifted, looking around the area. Then, she bellowed out a chant, different from any of the others Ahsoka heard so far.

The Nightsister holding the basin lifted it into the air, and the sky began to glow a brilliant white color. The Nightsisters around Ahsoka let out a gleeful cry as they started chanting along with Talzin.

The dagger rose itself towards the sky, just as lightning struck into it, Mother Talzin brought it down to the center of Obi-Wan’s chest.

The sky flashed.

Obi-Wan’s head lolled back, hanging off the edge of the altar, and his fingers uncurled as he went completely still. Ahsoka couldn’t feel the Force, but if she did, she expected she’d feel what she saw.

Tears blurred her vision, but she took a deep, shuddering breath and started the mantra over again.

Bright colors began to swirl out of the basin, into the sky, merging with the clouds. Ahsoka watched, tears streaming down her cheeks, some of them running into her mouth as her voice returned to her, a quiet whisper.

The Force surged, and she found herself able to move, standing quickly. The cloak fell off her shoulders as she rushed forward, to the altar.

Around her the Nightsisters chanted and cheered, staring upwards as the colors split into the sky, beautiful and deadly all at once. Ahsoka sucked in a breath as she stopped before the altar, on the other side of Mother Talzin.

The broken, bloodied body on the altar was empty of the gentle soul it once held. Ahsoka brought a hand forward and gently slipped Obi-Wan’s eyes closed.

“Death, yet the Force,” she rasped, and bright, colorful thunder clapped in the sky.

**Author's Note:**

> When I was writing this, my heart was racing and I was literally shaking. It was just an intense experience, so I feel like it might have been intense to read it, too.  
>    
> Anyways, thank you for reading, and please leave a comment on your way out! :)


End file.
